display all the ideas for this combination of texts
4 ideas
3240 | There is more insight in fundamental perplexity about problems than in their supposed solutions [Nagel] |
Full Idea: Certain forms of perplexity (say about freedom, knowledge and the meaning of life) seem to me to embody more insight than any of the supposed solutions to those problems. | |
From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], Intro) | |
A reaction: Obviously false solutions won't embody much insight. This sounds good, but I suspect that the insight is in the recognition of the facts which give rise to the perplexity. I can't think of anything in favour of perplexity for its own sake. |
19695 | The devil was wise as an angel, and lost no knowledge when he rebelled [Whitcomb] |
Full Idea: The devil is evil but nonetheless wise; he was a wise angel, and through no loss of knowledge, but, rather, through some sort of affective restructuring tried and failed to take over the throne. | |
From: Dennis Whitcomb (Wisdom [2011], 'Argument') | |
A reaction: ['affective restructuring' indeed! philosophers- don't you love 'em?] To fail at something you try to do suggests a flaw in the wisdom. And the new regime the devil wished to introduce doesn't look like a wise regime. Not convinced. |
3242 | Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture can't skip it [Nagel] |
Full Idea: Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture that tries to skip it will never grow up. | |
From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], Intro) | |
A reaction: Can he really mean that a mature culture doesn't need philosophy? |
3241 | It seems mad, but the aim of philosophy is to climb outside of our own minds [Nagel] |
Full Idea: We are trying to climb outside of our own minds, an effort that some would regard as insane and that I regard as philosophically fundamental. | |
From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], Intro) | |
A reaction: It is not only philosophers who do this. It is an essential feature of the mind, and is inherent in the concept of truth. |